The French government is now preparing for the next round of protests. The night of 19–20 October was the first calm one since the riots of 17 October. On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met five trade unions at Matignon. The aim was to keep the next protests peaceful. The meeting brought together the CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC and CFE-CGC. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also attended.
Curfews stay in place
On Tuesday, 20 October, Lecornu credited the "targeted curfews" with helping maintain calm overnight into Tuesday. Paris police announced an overnight curfew from 11 p.m. Tuesday in the worst-hit areas around the Place de la République and Les Halles, while cities including Bordeaux and Lille will also impose curfews. Marseille, France's second-largest city, imposed a curfew for unaccompanied minors starting Tuesday night. Lille and Nice were among the cities to impose curfews for minors. Lecornu said local authorities would coordinate with mayors to decide whether to impose curfews in their respective prefectures.
The damage figures have grown again. Around 3,000 shops were looted across the country, justice minister Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday. Al Jazeera reports that more than 2,500 people have been arrested. Darmanin also said 149 people had been jailed nationwide as of Tuesday at noon.
Military support for Saturday, 24 October
In parliament on 20 October, Lecornu acknowledged that the security response had fallen short and promised a stronger approach ahead of the new wave of protests. "The deployment for next Saturday will be massive," Lecornu said. He also said intelligence services had failed to identify the severity of the situation and said previous security arrangements had been too static. Nuñez said France will deploy Sentinelle troops for Saturday's protests. The troops would be used for static guard duty, which frees up police and gendarmes for law enforcement. Lecornu also accused ultra-left radical groups of forging an "insurrectionary plan" that led to the riots.
Who is marching, and when
New demonstrations planned by the Yellow Vests and French high school students are planned for Saturday, and the unions have scheduled theirs for November 5. The Yellow Vests want to build momentum for a "second act" this Saturday, followed by a "third act" the following Saturday, which would be 31 October. Reports differ on whether the unions will march on 24 October. Al Jazeera writes that France's main trade unions have not backed the call. CNN reports that the CGT, one of France's biggest trade unions, has said it will join, calling for peaceful protests.
The students who started the movement were left out of the talks on 21 October. The CFDT and the CGT deplored the absence of high school organisations at this meeting, where Lecornu intends to address "the answers" to their demands on schedules, replacements, renovation of buildings and Parcoursup.
Political fallout
On Thursday, Lecornu will hold talks with political parties about the protests. That meeting is set for 22 October. Criticism is mounting over President Emmanuel Macron's decision to embark on a three-day tour of the Middle East as France suffers its most severe riots in many years. Abroad, the riots have prompted several countries, including the United States, China and Germany, to issue travel advisories for their citizens in France. Financial markets are worried too. French markets came under pressure on Monday after the weekend scenes, with bonds, stocks and the euro all selling off.
The French government is now preparing for the next round of protests. The night of 19–20 October was the first calm one since the riots of 17 October. On Wednesday, 21 October 2026, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu met five trade unions at Matignon. The aim was to keep the next protests peaceful. The meeting brought together the CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC and CFE-CGC. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also attended.
Curfews stay in place
On Tuesday, 20 October, Lecornu credited the "targeted curfews" with helping maintain calm overnight into Tuesday. Paris police announced an overnight curfew from 11 p.m. Tuesday in the worst-hit areas around the Place de la République and Les Halles, while cities including Bordeaux and Lille will also impose curfews. Marseille, France's second-largest city, imposed a curfew for unaccompanied minors starting Tuesday night. Lille and Nice were among the cities to impose curfews for minors. Lecornu said local authorities would coordinate with mayors to decide whether to impose curfews in their respective prefectures.
The damage figures have grown again. Around 3,000 shops were looted across the country, justice minister Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday. Al Jazeera reports that more than 2,500 people have been arrested. Darmanin also said 149 people had been jailed nationwide as of Tuesday at noon.
Military support for Saturday, 24 October
In parliament on 20 October, Lecornu acknowledged that the security response had fallen short and promised a stronger approach ahead of the new wave of protests. "The deployment for next Saturday will be massive," Lecornu said. He also said intelligence services had failed to identify the severity of the situation and said previous security arrangements had been too static. Nuñez said France will deploy Sentinelle troops for Saturday's protests. The troops would be used for static guard duty, which frees up police and gendarmes for law enforcement. Lecornu also accused ultra-left radical groups of forging an "insurrectionary plan" that led to the riots.
Who is marching, and when
New demonstrations planned by the Yellow Vests and French high school students are planned for Saturday, and the unions have scheduled theirs for November 5. The Yellow Vests want to build momentum for a "second act" this Saturday, followed by a "third act" the following Saturday, which would be 31 October. Reports differ on whether the unions will march on 24 October. Al Jazeera writes that France's main trade unions have not backed the call. CNN reports that the CGT, one of France's biggest trade unions, has said it will join, calling for peaceful protests.
The students who started the movement were left out of the talks on 21 October. The CFDT and the CGT deplored the absence of high school organisations at this meeting, where Lecornu intends to address "the answers" to their demands on schedules, replacements, renovation of buildings and Parcoursup.
Political fallout
On Thursday, Lecornu will hold talks with political parties about the protests. That meeting is set for 22 October. Criticism is mounting over President Emmanuel Macron's decision to embark on a three-day tour of the Middle East as France suffers its most severe riots in many years. Abroad, the riots have prompted several countries, including the United States, China and Germany, to issue travel advisories for their citizens in France. Financial markets are worried too. French markets came under pressure on Monday after the weekend scenes, with bonds, stocks and the euro all selling off.
Sources